With the lack of child care places for "under twos" in many areas, combined with pressures of cost, travel, convenience and hour restrictions, many parents are increasingly looking at other more flexible child care options.

Some parents prefer something a little more personal and in more of a home environment.

Family day care now accounts for 12 per cent of Australia's entire early childhood education and care sector with 16,000 educators helping to grow and shape the lives of more than 115,000 children around the country.

The core elements of family day care are with the National Quality Framework, the National Quality Standard and the Early Years Learning Framework, all of which are part of the national legislation introduced in January 2012.

Benefits of family day care:

• Low child to carer ratios
• Stronger bond between Family Day Care educators and children
• Home-based, family environment
• Lower cost than long day centres (average $6.50-$8.50 per hour) and financial support is available to families using approved family day care educators through the Child Care Benefit and the Child Care Rebate.
• 24/7: Family Day Care often has official hours the same as other forms of child care, however due to being home-based it can provide 24/7 child care, including full-time, part-time or casual care depending on the requirements
• Out of Hours Care: Flexibility for parents with odd working hours or special circumstances. Family Day Care can provide weekend and overnight care in case of an emergency or as a respite care option.

Who does it suit?

Family Day care is a great option for anyone, but is particularly good for:

• Parents who work odd or shift hours or weekends
• Single parents who need a greater feeling of support
• Children without siblings, as the small, family environment provides a sense of having siblings around them
• Children with disabilities or special needs (according to the FDCA 30 per cent of family day care educators have cared for children with disabilities).

See a summary of how family day care compares with other types of child care in our child care comparison table.

Who provides and runs family day care?

• Family Day Care services are generally established and operated by community groups or local government authorities, such as a church or council. Some private for-profit organisations also provide family day care.
• All family day care educators operate under the same government framework as all other forms of child care including centre based care.
• Family day care educators also have the same formal qualifications requirements as educators working in centre-based care settings.
• All educators must also pass a police or criminal history check prior to commencing work in family day care and must be fully insured, have a current first aid certificate and maintain a safe environment.
• Family Day Care is governed by The Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA), which ensures services meet the requirements of the National Quality Framework
• Local coordination units work with individual family day care educators to ensure high standards across the scheme.

How to find out more?

For further information regarding family day care visit Family Day Care Australia's website.

To search for local providers, click here and be sure to take our handy checklist with you when you pay a visit to a potential service.